Differential mechanism.



G. H. GRAHAM.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

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G. H-. GRAHAM. DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1009.

Patented Jan. 10,1911.

2 BHEETB-SHBET 2.

human GEORGE H.'G-RAHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLIEOE MARSHALL LEWIS, U a);

DIFFERENTIAL IBIECH To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn H. GRAHAM, citizen of the United States,residing at Ghicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have.invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Difi'erential Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a differential mechanism forvehicles, and the objects of my improvement are; first, the provision ofpower transmitting means for dividing the power between the tractionwheels of a vehicle to the end that neither wheel can revolve at aslower rate than the driving mechanism, but either wheel mayautomatically release from the source of power and revolve at a morerapid rate than the driving mechanism in the direction of the movementof the vehicle particularly when entering a curve; second, to provide aconstruction whereby the braking effort of an engine or other source ofpower may be utilized to produce a retarding eifect equally upon bothtraction wheels; third, to increase the efficiency of an automobile orother vehicle on wet or slippery road surfaces by affording a two-wheeldrive; fourth, the

provision of means for automatically re leasing the outside tractionwheel from thesource of power when describing a curve;

and, fifth, to obviate stalling of avehicle when one drive wheel getsinto a mud hole or a slippery place.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novelfeatures and in the combination and arrangement of parts all hereinaftermore specifically described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification, and particularly pointed out inthe claims,

Figure l, is a section through the assembled mechanism; Fig. 2 is a viewon line 2+2 of Fig. 1 with the drag-plate omitted.

Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the clutchcarrier. Fig. l, is aperspective view of a pinion crank-shaft.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

One embodiment of my invention is described as follows: The two halvesof the differential or driving case and the internal gear wheel andthe-bevel driving gear wheel are assembled into an operative unit TheSpecification of Eetters iatens. jj

Application filed June 4, 135%.

so a: to expand tne road or other eonditio shells or and rotatwoinwardly ezrtendi clutch-drums tably inounte each of the a divi-r. d aends of which a orsproc iets in U 7 jack shaft do 531%- chain drive.separate operable n echanisms are inclosed within said assembler unit,for each driving wheel, e: consisting of a pin on meshing with eninternal gear, a carrier rot-at Hy supporting the pinien and alsocarrying clutch shoe a toggle meehanism connecting the ends or theclutch-shoe to the eccentric or crank of pinion l tch shoe when thepinion is caused to rotate either way from normal or released pesition.The two in dependentclutch means which con nected in a manner to engageand release the respective driving wheels of a vehicle, are ineiosedWithin a single driven case, and have opera! ve eonneetion between theand clutches transmit driving torque to both wheels equally when thewheels are moving at the same rate of speed or traveling in line, and toper- Hit the autoni no relea e one traction wheel from the dri mechanismwhen relatively 85 greater of such I for example, when eviating fromstraight line of traitel 1 a corner:

The h ndent shafts, S, or divided axle of vehicle has rectangularadjacent ends, 9, 9, and each earrics clutch-drum or shell, 10, having 5hub, 11, with a rec tangular open to receive the rectangular ff axle.The

. numeral, an K. ,z'iular space or path be ends of the drums for t heweb of an in ternal wheel herein rer described.

Disposed within each elutch-drum is a clutch and pinion carrier, M,mounted on the inner end of the 3-" n, capable of an oscillatorymovement thereon; Theronmeral, 15, denotes the of the carrier, on thesegmental extension, 15'', of which are the pinion jaws or rates, t),and 1'1",with

bearings, 18, -and it?) eetiveiy; I The clutch-shoe supporting arm, 20,of tee can rierl as a loose-'21, a receiving groove,

22, and apcrtured jaws, 23, the latter for en- 1 momentarily at restdueto inertia in gagement with the shoe, 28. The segmental extensionsserve to limit the rotative or oscillatory movement of one carrier withrespect to the other. It will be apparent that in the absence of meansfor this purpose the shoes would be pulled into locked and unlockedposition, thus transmitting little, if any power to the axles.

In Fig. 1- is shown the pinion shaft hav ing a rectangular portion, 24:,reduced or journal end, 25, portion, 26, and a crank or eccentric pin,27. The clutch-shoe, 28, has apcrtured flanges, 29, for toggleconnections, apertured flange, .30, for carrier connection, aperturcdflanges, 31, for clutch-release springs engagement, and aperturedflanges, 32, for the clutch-shoe lifting spring engagement. The togglejaws, 33, are connected to flange, 29, and carry apertured rod, 34, forengagement with toggle link jaws, 35. The jaw pins, 36, link pin, 37,

- and clutch carrier pins, 38, are of common form. The spiral springs,39, constantly operate to draw the clutch-shoe from contact with thedrum. The pinion, 41, has a rectangular opening, 41, therethrough .to

receive the rectangular portion of the shaft (Fig. 4), and meshes withthe internal gear wheel, 42. The internal gear wheel has a web portion,43, and. an external annular flange, 44:, which is apertured to permitthe case screws, 54, to pass t-hcrethrough.

For the purpose of additional retardation of the oscillatory movement ofthe carrier,-

14, in heavy or slow moving vehicles there is inserted a circulardrag-plate, or'friction element, 45, in each drum and contacting Withthe wall thereof. The drag-plate spring, 46, consisting of a flat springblade constantly urges the drag-plate against the inner wall of thedrum.v The )late has a large hole, 48, therethrough to ailord aclearance of the crank pin, and a smaller hale, 4:9, to receive theboss, 2'1. The crank-pin washer, 50, is held in position by the usualcotter pin.

Thrust washers, 51, preferably red fiber, are disposed on the drum hubbetween the drum and the differential or driving case, 52, each half ofwhich has an apertured external flange, 53, through which the casescrews, 54, pass to screw threaded engagement with the bevel gear wheel,55, carried .by the case and meshing with a bevel p inion (not suown) onthe drive shaft of the motor of the vehicle (not shown).

In operation, when motion is imparted to the rotatable case by theaction of the motor i. (htv vehicle, the case has a sligl'it rotativemovement before the wheels of the vehicle are caused to rotate, theaction being the "the carrier and meshing with th gear wheel, and meansoperatively (or .tl'ie pinions begin to revolve the two crank pins pullinwardly on the connecting links and radially expand the twoclutclrshoes into frictional adherence to thefinner surfaces of therespective drums, When frietional grip is complete between each shoe anddrum, further action of the-toggle be-' ing impossible rotation of eachpinion is stopped causing a positive lock through its teeth between therotatinggear and the car= rier, the clutch-shoe and the drum to the gtraction wheel of the vehicle; 'When the vehicle enters a curve theouter wheel having to describe a circle of a greater radius must travelat a speed greater than the inner wheel in the directionof movement of 5the vehicle. As the inner wheel cannot rotate slower than thedriving-case mecha-' nism owing to the grip of the clutch, it isnecessary that the enter wheel exceed the speed oi the drivin case toprevent dragging the tire upon the road surface. l Vhen the outer'wheelbegins to rotate-faster its inner drum causes the carrier to advance inrelation to the internal gear, thus moving the axis of the pinionforward in respect to the internal gear, and reversing the action whichresulted in setting the toggle, whereby the clutch-shoe is released andsuch outer traction wheel is free to revolve at a greater speed than theinner traction wheel.

Variations in the form, proportions, arrangement and details of myinvention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention, and hence I consider myself entitled to all suchvariations and changes as may lie within my claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination, of an axle, a clutch" member fixed thereto, acoacting clutch-' member, a carrier for the same an, internal gearwheel, a pinion rotatably sup orted by i 5 fipernal ected to the pinionto engage and release the clutch members.

.2. The combination, of an axle, a clutch' 'membcr fixed thereto, acoacting .clutchmember, a carrier for the same, an internal gear wheel,a pinion rotatably supported by the carrier and meshing with theinternal. gear wheel, means to retard the movement of the carrier, andmeans opcratiwrly connectcd to the pinion to engage and release theclutch members. i

The combination, of an axleqa clutchmeinhcr fixed thereto, a com-tingclutch member, a carrier for the same, a driving 13o shoe, :1 pinioi'irotntohlysupported by cost, on internei case, nv pinion rote carrier andn wheel, and tneone o the pinion to engtgi member. The conihinzitior rtlilierentiel meche :m, of the indep t e lee, clutch drums fixed to theinner ends out the axles, ii clutch shoe wi "i, at carrier in each drumand o pporling pinion, a single internal \vl cell in mesh with thepinions,' ltl n in: operntivel conne ted to the lllilli'i llh' to ngng'cand dis; engage the shoe and drum one axle inde pendently of the other5. The combination in dillerentinl mechanism, of ini'lependent axles, aclutch member fixed to one end of each axle, a. clutch shoe-within eachmember, carrier ilor each each carrier, :1 driving case, an internalWheel lined to the co both pinions, and ine'le 'iemlent li'lQdilHoperand in mesh with Ill\'(l connecting each shoe and its pinion toexpand and release such shoe (3. The combination in differentialmechanism, of? independent n drum fixed to one end oi? each axle, aclutch shoe in each drum, :1 carrier each shoe, a pinion .rotutablysupported by each carrier, means opcrzi'livel a innecting each pinionand shoe, frictional elements to retard the movements ofthe cziiri ndriving case, and an iriteniml ,"-.1. heel in mesh with hoth'of the pin'7. The coin inn on in diiierentiul mechanism, or a driving case,(in/internal wheel carried tliorehy, two inwardly ex tending drumshells; concentrically and toteablymourned within the d Iingemergindcl'iendcnt axles, :1 drum fixed to one end of each axle, e pluiiity of pinions each meshing with the inter nil gear wheel andindependently rotatable, an oscillatory carrier for cnch pinion, t1clutch shoe connected to each carrier, end ,xpansion and release meansoperutivcl connecting each shoe and its pinion to ctqinnd the shoe intofrictional release the same.

8. The combination in diti'erential mech anism, of driving case, oninternal geni- Wheel carried thereby, two inwardly ex-- tending drumshells concentrically and rotntnoly. mount d Within the driving case,inlilependentaxles, drum fixed to one end of each axle, a plurality ofpinions each meshing with the internal gear wheel and independentlyrotatable, an oscillatory carrier for etch pinion, o; clutclvshoeconnected to eflch carrier, :1 drag-plate to retard the movement of thecarrier, and independent means operati-vely connecting each shoe and itspinion to expand the shoe into frictional adherence to the drum shelland subsequently release the some.

9. The combination in differential mechanism, of driving case, aninternal gear Wheel carried by the case, two inwardly extending druinshells concentrically mounted Within the driving case, independentaxles, o drum. fixed to one end of each axle, a plurality of pinionseach meshing with the internal gear wheel and mounted for independentrotation, an oscillatory carrier for l ouch pinion, the carriers havinghubs with segmental extensions and positioned to interfere with eachother to limit the extent of movement of the one in respect to theother, a clutch shoe connected to each carrier, and independent meansoperatively connecting each shoe and its pinion to expand the shoe intoand release it from frictional. adherence to the drum shell.

10, In 21 differential mechanism, the comhimition of two carriers eachwith it hub lowing a segmental. extension and positioned to interferewith each other to limit the extent oscillation oi. the one with reepectto the other.

in testimony whercofl :ifiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE H. GRAHAlvl.

ll itnesses i. Fmvn Kniuriooo,

JAMES S'rnwAirr.

